Volume 14, Issue 2 Autumn 2014

VOICE The

of SEIU Local 200United

VOTE: Election Day is Tuesday, November 4

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Endorsements for November’s Elections After approval by the Executive Board, Local 200United announces the following candidate endorsements for the Nov. 4 state and local elections. They are listed by region.

Governor – Andrew Cuomo; Lt. Governor – Kathy Hochul; Attorney General – Eric Schneiderman; Comptroller – Thomas DiNapoli

Albany Region Brian Howard, New York State Senate (District 43) Neil Breslin, New York State Senate (District 44) Madelyn Thorne, New York State Senate (District 49) Patricia Fahy, New York State Assembly (District 109) Phil Steck, New York State Assembly (District 110) Paul Salvino, District Attorney of Greene County Buffalo Region Brian Higgins, United States House of Representatives (District 26) Marc Panepinto, New York State Senate (District 60) Johnny Destino, New York State Senate (District 62) Timothy Kennedy, New York State Senate (District 63) Crystal Peoples-Stokes, New York State Assembly (District 141) Sean Ryan, New York State Assembly (District 149) Andrew Goodell, New York State Assembly (District 150) William Clark, Erie County Clerk Lee Wallace, Town of Niagara Supervisor Alisa Lukasiewicz, New York State Supreme Court Judge Central New York Region Aaron Woolf, United States House of Representatives (District 21) Martha Robertson, United States House of Representatives (District 23) Dan Maffei, United States House of Representatives (District 24) David Valesky, New York State Senate (District 53) William Magee, New York State Assembly (District 121) Barbara Lifton, New York State Assembly (District 125) Diane Dwire, New York State Assembly (District 126) Al Stirpe, New York State Assembly (District 127) Sam Roberts, New York State Assembly (District 128) William Magnarelli, New York State Assembly (District 129) Jason Garnar, Broome County Legislator Chris Bracco, Broome County Sheriff Bridget Kane, Town of Union Councilwoman

Ted Crane, Town of Danby Councilperson (Town Board) Toby Shelley, Onondaga County Sheriff David Dinhofer, Broome County Legislator (District 5) Robert Reynolds, Broome County Legislator (District 12) Carol Howell, Broome County Legislator (District 6) Larry Coppola, Broome County Legislator (District 7) Brian DeJoseph, New York State Supreme Court Christian Root, Binghamton City Court Judge William C. Pelella, Binghamton City Court Judge Ross Andrews, Syracuse City Court Judge Hudson Valley Region Sean Maloney, United States House of Representatives (District 18) David Carlucci, New York State Senate (District 38) William Larkin, New York State Senate (District 39) Justin Wagner, New York State Senate (District 40) Terry Gipson, New York State Senate (District 41) Cecilia Tkaczyk, New York State Senate (District 46) Ellen Jaffee, New York State Assembly (District 97) Krystal Serrano, New York State Assembly (District 98) James Skoufis, New York State Assembly (District 99) Kevin Cahill, New York State Assembly (District 103) Frank Skartados, New York State Assembly (District 104) Joseph Torres, New York State Assembly (District 105) Didi Barrett, New York State Assembly (District 106) Gilda Riccardi, Ulster County Family Court Judge Laura Krzeminski, Catskill Town Justice Rochester Region Ted O'Brien, New York State Senate (District 55) Joseph Robach, New York State Senate (District 56) Gary Pudup, New York State Assembly (District 134) Joseph Morelle, New York State Assembly (District 136) Harry Bronson, New York State Assembly (District 138) Erik Nixon, Monroe County Legislature

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By Scott Phillipson

Fall is my favorite time of year and after last winter I intend to appreciate this wonderful weather while it lasts. I hope you and your families have been able to get out and enjoy it too.

This time of year also brings election season and for our union that means

moving our members into action for candidates we believe will advance our progressive agenda for working men and women in New York. Whether you’re new to our union or just need a refresher, our process to decide who we support is one that is wholly focused on the needs of our members.

First, we ask candidates to submit a questionnaire concentrated on our legislative priorities for this year and the coming years. Next, we invite all candidates who have submitted a questionnaire to participate in one of our candidate interview nights across the state. Like most years, we hosted these events in Syracuse, Buffalo,

Rochester, Albany and, for the first time, we moved our Hudson Valley meeting across the river to Poughkeepsie where we have greater member density. Each was spirited and allowed members to experience the candidates in a more intimate setting.

One new exciting element this year involved the questions posed to candidates. For the first time we exclusively asked candidates questions created by our members. The idea was to allow us to frame issues for the candidates our members are most passionate about in their area and hear how the candidates would respond.

The events were a huge success. Members enjoyed the events and candidates got a flavor for what is most important to our members and what we intend to fight for in the coming legislative session and beyond. I want to thank all of you who participated in this process.

The candidates you see in this newsletter were endorsed by our Executive Board after this rigorous process and we are confident they will stand with us as we fight for economic justice for our members and for all New Yorkers!

President’s Message

‘Tis the Season to Vote

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Political Action

2014 Meet the Candidates Nights —Thanks to all!

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RIP Brother Leo SEIU Local 200United lost one its greatest champions

in July: Leo Williams Sr.

Leo founded the Retiree Unit of SEIU Local 200United, and enthusiastically led the Local’s contingent at the annu-al Labor Day parade, held at the State Fair in Syracuse, decorating a tram in SEIU purple and pulling it behind a

tractor. Fellow Army veterans, union members and family saw Leo’s ashes back to his home in Pennellville, in south-ern Oswego County on August 4.

Leo, 83, passed away July 29 at his home surrounded by, and in the arms of, his loving family.

Born the oldest of 14 children; he was a lifelong resident of the Syracuse area. He enlisted in the Army and traveled to Ger-many as part of the occupational forces after World War II. It was there, while serving as a Tank Commander, that he met his wife of 62 years, Liselotte “Lilo” Wil-liams. Together, they owned and operated a Mom and Pop grocery store and a snow-mobile dealership for 27 years in Euclid, NY, before retiring to the Pennellville area. Leo worked for a time as a Tractor Trailer Driver and as a School Bus Driver and was a CDL-A certified driver trainer. He was very

active and passionate in the labor struggle and served as a Teamsters Union Steward while driv-ing tractor trailer and lat-er as Union President for the Service Employees International Union chap-ter at Liverpool Central School District. One of his proudest achievements while serving as Union President was to “rally the troops” and lead the battle to stop the school district from switching to contract busing.

Leo enjoyed boating, snowmobiling, travel and spending time with his grand-children and great-grandchildren, but his greatest passion by far was dancing with his beloved wife.

Local 200United Secretary-Treasurer Liz Golembeski considered Leo one of her dearest friends. “Leo’s greatest quality was giving it his all, no matter the task at hand. His strength and courage were obvious right up until the end of his incredible life,” she said. “We all have many memo-ries of Leo, memories that will live on, but the one I will treasure most is the friendship we shared.”

—Portions courtesy of the Syracuse Post-Standard

At the 2006 State Fair, Leo Williams (in black cap, facing camera) awaited the 2006 candidates for New York governor and lieutenant governor alongside Local 200United rep Jody DelBrocco (in sunglasses.)

Purple power was always a prominent part of the annual State Fair Labor Day parade when Leo Williams decorated.

In Memoriam

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Adjunct professors at The College of Saint Rose voted by a huge margin to join their fellow educators at schools across the country in SEIU /Adjunct Action. The victory is a step forward for adjuncts in New York State striving to improve the working conditions of the increasing num-bers of part-time and contingent faculty in higher education.

Saint Rose adjuncts have joined our union, SEIU Local 200United as part of Adjunct Action, our project that includes over 21,000 adjuncts across the country. The final vote count was 175 for and 61 against.

The group held its first membership meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at which they accepted nominations for chapter officers as well as the bargaining com-mittee. Contract surveys were distributed there as well.

Alyssa Colton, an adjunct instructor of English, said: “We would not have been able to do this so quickly and thoroughly without the hard work of the St. Rose ad-juncts, full-time faculty, and alumni, stu-dents, and community leaders like Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Councilmembers Judd Krasher and Leah Golby, and Assembly-woman Pat Fahy, who have been sup-porting us the entire time. The students and the surrounding community stand to gain as much as adjuncts from improved conditions for part-timers and we are ex-

cited to get to work making these vital improvements.”

Throughout the Capital District and across the country, adjunct faculty contin-ue to fight to address the crisis in higher education: a marginalized teaching facul-ty, quickly rising tuition, and record levels of student debt.

Bradley Russell, an adjunct instructor of anthropology and member of the or-ganizing committee, reflected on the vic-tory: “This vote is historic for the College of Saint Rose. It is extremely gratifying to see how many of our fellow adjuncts stood up and made it clear that they want a decisive voice on campus. For the first time, adjunct faculty members will now have a well-earned say in our own futures. I look forward to working with the admin-istration to improve teaching conditions, the student experience and the college as a whole. We trust that this is the begin-ning of a collective bargaining process that will move us into a positive new day for the college. It is time to come together for real and lasting change. Today Saint Rose took an important step to live up to its well-known commitment to social justice. I could not be more pleased with the re-sults to date and anticipate great things ahead.”

St. Rose faculty are following in the footsteps of adjuncts across the country. The University of the District of Columbia, Antioch University in Seattle, Hamline Uni-versity, San Francisco Art Institute, and Northeastern University have all recently voted to join SEIU/Adjunct Action. Sup-porters of the St. Rose vote for unioniza-tion see this as a vital first step to strengthening voices and improving work-ing conditions for all part-time faculty in the Capital District.

“This vote is a heartening reminder that change is possible when enough peo-ple decide the time has come,” said Jazmine Gabriel, an adjunct instructor of philosophy who has taught at the Sage Colleges and Siena College along with St. Rose. “Speaking up takes courage, and the adjunct faculty members at St. Rose have demonstrated true courage by partici-pating in this process and committing to envisioning and designing a better future. May this vote serve as an inspiration and example to the many of us who face simi-lar challenges at other colleges in the Cap-ital District. St. Rose now has the oppor-tunity to be a leader in the community by helping to set the standards for fair work-ing conditions through trust and collabo-ration with the bargaining unit.”

College’s Adjuncts Vote Overwhelmingly To Join SEIU/Adjunct Action

Organizing News

Success at St. Rose

The adjuncts voted yes: (from left) Bradley Russell, Alex DiCicco, Mark Grimm, Julie Demers and Jonathan Peabody, some of the supporters of an adjunct instructors union at the College of St. Rose.

I look forward to working with the administration to improve teaching conditions, the student experience and the college as a whole.

—Bradley Russell

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Union Security Agreements

Notice to persons covered by Union Security Agreements regulated

under the National Labor Relations Act.

SEIU Local 200United, like other unions, spends the vast majority

of its funds on collective bargaining-related activity, as well as some

amounts for political lobbying, community services, citizenship fund ac-

tivities, international affairs, organizing, charitable donations, publica-

tions advancing the union’s political positions, certain litigation, and

other matters. Under the Supreme Court decision in CWA v. Beck, non-

union members who pay money to the Union under union security agree-

ments may file objections to non-representational related expenditures of

the money they pay under such agreements. (Such agreements, including

those that SEIU Local 200United is a party to, may be and are applied by

SEIU Local 200United only to require as a condition of employment that

covered employees be and remain persons who tender to the Union “the

periodic dues and initiation fees uniformly required as a condition of ac-

quiring or retaining membership” in the Union. The application of such

clauses to nonmembers who submit objections to SEIU Local 200United

under Beck is handled in the manner described herein.)

To comply with the Beck decision, SEIU Local 200United honors

objections by nonmembers of the union covered by NLRA union security

agreements who notify in writing SEIU Local 200United, 731 James St.,

Suite 300, PO Box 1130, Syracuse, NY 13201, of their objection. Objec-

tions may be filed at any time but must be renewed each year. Objectors

will be charged only for expenditures related to representational activi-

ties.

All nonmembers who file such an objection will receive SEIU Local

200United’s current Report of Expenditures Incurred in Providing Collec-

tive Bargaining Related Services. This Report provides the basis for the

amount which will be charged to Objectors as a result of their objection.

The Report arrives at this amount by an analysis of SEIU Local 200Unit-

ed’s prior fiscal year expenditures which provides a detailed allocation of

those expenditures between expenditures which are related to SEIU Local

200United’s representational activities, and from which the amount

charged Objectors is derived and expenditures which are not or may not

be so related.

Any challenge by an Objector to the calculations in the Report or

any challenge by an objector claiming the Report does not properly deter-

mine what portion of SEIU Local 200United’s expenditures were expend-

ed on matters unrelated to representational matters will be referred to an

impartial decision-maker appointed by the American Arbitration Associa-

tion under its Rules for Impartial Determination of Union Fees. Such

challenges by Objectors to the Report must be made in writing, and must

be addressed to SEIU Local 200United, 731 James Street, Suite 300, PO

Box 1130, Syracuse, NY 13201.

Objectors are notified of this at the time they receive their copy of

the Report.

VOTE: Election Day is Tuesday, November 4

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.